Hellsing: Amen
by NotanRappa
Summary: Post-anime: Integra is stuck in jail, Seras is changing into a true nosferatu, Walter is missing, and, to top it all off, while searching for Walter, Alucard uncovers yet another plot to bring down the Hellsing Organization!
1. Jailhouse Blues

Hellsing: Amen

by Notan Rappa

Chapter 1: Jailhouse Blues

Integra watched the wine from the shattered glass drip like blood from Alucard's clenched fist. His smile prompted a smile of her own.

"Well…" Alucard said.

"No, Alucard. I do not want you to drink my blood."

"I was merely asking if you wanted be to bust you out of here." Alucard's smile seemed to imply otherwise. Integra's smile showed just how little she believed him, but did not press the point. This talk of drinking blood made her uncomfortable. 'Which is probably why he does it.' she thought.

"No. Best to go through the red tape and get out of here legally, albeit in a couple of months, then to get out now and be an outlaw."

Alucard bowed. "As you wish."

"Has there been any word of Walter?"

"No. It is quite likely that he died in the crash."

"Be that as it may, it remains possible that he is out there and injured. Find him, Alucard."

"Yes, my master." He stepped back and seemed to seep into the shadows until all that could be seen was the shine off of his red glasses and the glint of light off of his teeth which were bared in full grin. Then he faded completely, leaving Integra alone. She stared at the spot that he had come from and frowned. "Walter…my dear friend. Please be safe…"

End Chapter 1


	2. A Small Problem

Hellsing: Amen

by Notan Rappa

Chapter 2: A Small Problem…

Seras had this odd feeling. Almost as if there was a musical beat searing through her veins.

"Hello, Victoria!" said one of the men at the firing range as he passed by. They were alone. Suddenly the feeling took over. She lunged for the man's throat. He screamed, but there was no one listening. He tried to push her off, but his strength was inadequate. Just then, Seras was lifted off of the man. She found herself staring into the eyes of Alucard.

"M…Master?" Suddenly, she and Alucard were in her room. He put her down next to the table.

"Drink." he said to her.

"Yes, master." She picked up the blood bag and drank. As she drank, she felt the odd sensation subsiding.

"You no longer need to call me master. You need never call anyone that again. You are a true vampire now. You are your own master, Seras Victoria."

"Ma…um…Alucard…?"

"Yes?"

"How come you don't call me police girl anymore?" Alucard grinned.

"You chose the darkness on the night that you died, but until recently you had resisted the song of blood flowing through your body. Now you will feel the song, not as a grating dirge, but as a sensual symphony, and you will live in harmony with that song and walk the night and drink blood of your own free will."

"…" Seras wanted to ask Alucard something, but hesitated.

Alucard turned towards the door. "I will send down someone to give you more blood. You haven't had any blood almost since the day you died. You're going to be rather thirsty for a while."

"Alucard…will I ever be as strong as you?" Seras wanted to kick herself for being such a coward. That was not what she had wanted to ask.

Alucard's smile told her that he knew that was the case.

Meanwhile…

Integra was watching a news tape of the incident from a few days ago. She sat bolt upright when she saw at the corner of the screen.

"…found this man who has been confirmed to have been the pilot of the helicopter. This man is Walter C. Dornez, butler to the Hellsing family. Badly injured, he has been admitted to London Hospital, where he is currently undergoing surgery."

'He's alive.' Integra thought. 'He is alive!'

End Chapter 2


	3. Alucard's Problem

Hellsing: Amen

by Notan Rappa

Chapter 3: Alucard's Problem

Alucard got dressed in some less conspicuous clothes and went out. He had heard the news. Walter was alive at London Hospital.

'Well, she did ask me to find him.' he thought. 'I wonder, now that Seras is becoming a real vampire, will she finally gain the courage to resist me?' He turned and left the room. He decided to take his time with this 'assignment'.

When he got outside, he looked up at the moon. "What a beautiful night." It was a beautiful night, but something marred it. Some odd sense of something not quite being right. Alucard wasn't worried. He hardly had occasion to worry nowadays.

He walked for a while, before getting to London Hospital. Getting inside, he walked up to the desk.

"I am looking for a patient here, name of Dornez. Walter C. Dornez." The girl at the desk reached down and pulled up a clipboard and began scanning the pages.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir, but the man you wish to see is currently recovering from surgery." Alucard looked her straight in the eyes and spoke slowly and quietly.

"Where is he?"

"Ro…room…nine-nine-eight-one." she said sleepily.

"Thank you." Alucard said, and proceeded up the stairs to the aforementioned room number. Reaching the room, he found the door locked. Not a problem for Alucard. Turning into mist, he crept under the door and into the room. Reforming, he looked at the bed where Walter should have been, but wasn't. Alucard frowned.

'What's this, now?' The air smelled very very faintly of something arcane. He wanted to follow the scent before the trail grew cold, but felt a familiar tug in his hands. The control art. Integra was calling him.

Then he heard footsteps and someone talking. It was that girl from the counter. "I told him he couldn't go in, but he didn't listen…pantpant…made me tell him…which room."

"Very well, then!" came another voice also coming up the stairs. Alucard stepped back and faded out of sight.

'I do not wish to deal with these foolish humans tonight.' he thought. "Besides, my master beckons.'

A few moments later, the lock clicked and two figures burst into the room.

"My God! He's…they're…gone!"

End Chapter 3


	4. The Meaning of Servitude

Hellsing: Amen

by Notan Rappa

Chapter 4: The Meaning of Servitude

Integra was lighting up a cigar when Alucard popped into the room.

"You called me, master?"

"Yes, Alucard. I want to tell you that the search is off. Walter is at

London Hospital."

"Yes, I know. I heard the news and went to visit him." A silent pause.

"And...?"

"He isn't there, and I suspect that he did not leave willingly."

"What!"

"There was a faint...smell...of something...it is hard to explain to a

human. There were hardly any signs of a struggle. Walter was obviously still

recovering from surgery."

"I see..."

"Oh, and also, if you wish to protect that precious little army of yours,

you would do well to order more blood packets."

"Why?"

"That night when I fought with Incognito, Seras drank my blood and became a

true vampire. I went back to the mansion after meeting with you, and found

Seras attempting to drink the blood of one of your men."

"Hmph." Integra snorted. "Am I going to have to put controls on her as well? And when will her dark powers manifest themselves?"

"I wouldn't know. It develops differently for different vampires. And as

for controlling Seras, I must say I do not like the idea."

"She's like a daughter to you, isn't she? A daughter who has finally

broken free of her servitude towards you, and you can't stand to have her

chained as you are." Integra smiled. "Is that it?"

"Your idea of me being chained is utterly incorrect."

"What do you mean?"

"I have never been chained by this control art. My powers are such that I

could break it almost effortlessly at any time I wanted."

"Then why don't you?"

Alucard smiled. "Because it's so much more fun this way!"

Later, while Seras slept...

Darkness for a beach, and blood as the sea, washed over the dark beach

until all that was left was a blood red ocean.

**_'Seras!'_** Seras heard a voice calling to her. 'Seras!'

**_'Alucard! Is that you?'_**

**_'Seras, your intuition is sharpening every day, but your defenses are weak. _**

_**The mind, Seras, is weakest while one is asleep. The moment you felt my **_

_**presence you should have woken up. Your mind is strongest while you are **_

_**alert. Remember that!'**_

**_'Yes, Alucard.'_** Seras hesitated. **_'Alucard...'_**

Alucard was gone, the ocean of blood dried up, and the darkness took over

once again.

End Chapter 4


	5. Blood Stains

Hellsing: Amen

by Notan Rappa

Chapter 5: Blood Stains

Seras sucked the last remains out of her third blood packet. She felt satisfied enough that she felt it was safe to take a walk. She noted with interest at how much she was beginning to like the taste of blood. She walked up to the firing range, with a small handgun in hand, set the target back so that it appeared to be no bigger than a dime. She lifted the handgun.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! After the target was pulled back, she was pleased to note that her accuracy was improving.

Walking around, taking the long way back to her room, she saw one of the men standing around alone. Seras felt some feral instinct inside of herself snarl...

A few moments later...

Seras smiled at her kill, now completely drained of blood. Then she paused. Some voice inside of her was yelling in silent horror at what she had done, but it was drowned out by the pulsing of fresh warm blood coursing through her veins. This was not why she was pausing. The reason she was pausing, the reason for the small wave of panic welling through her was the realization that the man she had drained would soon turn into a ghoul! Unless she did something with it, and it wouldn't do to be seen dragging a bloodless corpse around. She needed to burn it! Burn it! BURN IT!

Suddenly, a flame burst from her hands, and leapt at the corpse. Startled, she jumped back and the flames went out. She stopped, looking at the scorched corpse. 'Did I...do that?' She lifted her hand again and willed flames to come out. 'Burn, damn you. BURN!' It wasn't working. She tried harder. The corpse started to stir. 'BURN!' she shouted inside her head. Flames burst from her hands again and leapt at the corpse. The ghoul writhed and fell, burned to dust. Seras willed the flames to go out, which was far easier than starting it, and then scattered the ashes.

'I need to be a little more careful about this.' Seras thought.

Meanwhile...

Alucard seemed distracted.

"Alucard!"

"Hmm?" Integra's eyes narrowed.

"What is it, Alucard?" Integra was feeling a little suspicious. This was unlike Alucard.

'_Seras_,' thought Alucard. '_So, you have made your first kill. Your powers are developing sooner than I expected, as well. This is bad timing.' _He smiled to himself._ 'Oh well. It will keep things interesting_.'

"Alucard!"

'_But I should not tell Integra, or she very well may have Seras chained, and she is not yet strong enough to destroy such chains_.'

"ALUCARD! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!"

End Chapter 5


	6. The Search for Walter

Hellsing: Amen

by Notan Rappa

Chapter 6: The Search for Walter

"Alucard, I want you to go back to the hospital and try to find out where Walter went to. And if you sense any major political connections, try not to do anything too forward. The last thing we need is another vendetta against us."

Alucard bowed. "Yes, master." Then he disappeared. Integra sat back and lit another cigar and frowned. 'What was he so preoccupied with?'

Four minutes later, she realized that she was out of cigars.

Moments Later...

Alucard was at London Hospital in dog form. His movement was stealthy and nobody noticed him. He crept back into room 9981 and started sniffing around for that arcane smell. He had been gone too long. The scent was already starting to fade. It was drifting around the room and seemed to not want to be pinned to one specific location for longer than a second. 'This is going to take longer than I thought.' thought Alucard.

Meanwhile...

Seras was sitting in her room, playing with a whirling ball of flame that she had conjured. She was starting to get the hang of this. Then she heard someone walking toward the door. 'Humans!' she thought. 'They are so loud!' She messed around with the fireball for a moment or two, then extinguished it. The man walked into the room carrying a bundle of blood bags.

"Here you go." he said, and nearly tossed them at her. She looked into his eyes and saw something she hadn't expected. She saw fear. He was afraid of her. It made her want to laugh. She contented herself with a smile. Several blood bags later, she began to think. 'Now that I'm a true vampire, I wonder if I can do all the things that Alucard can do? Like...telepathy! I could only receive and reply before. I wonder if now I can initialize the connection?' She closed her eyes and pictured Alucard in her mind. Imagined him receiving her message. It didn't work, but she wasn't discouraged. 'Rome wasn't built in a day.'

She closed her eyes and tried again...

Later, at London Hospital...

Alucard felt a presence in his mind.

**_'Alucard!'_**

_**'Seras?'**_

_**'Alucard! This is so awesome! You can talk to me, and now I can talk to **_

_**you, and I can also make fire come out of nowhere...'**_

**_'Seras!'_**

_**'...Yes?'**_

_**'I need to concentrate.'**_

**_'Oh. Sorry.'_** Alucard felt the presence shrink back out of his mind.

'Hmm, so she still doesn't have the courage to defy me. That's disappointing. Oh well,I do need to concentrate.' Alucard went back to sniffing out for that scent. 'I think it's strongest over there by the window.' He went over to the window. 'Yes! I've found a trail!' He ran for the window and jumped. Somebody noticed.

"Hey! That dog just jumped out that window!" Everyone ran to the window and looked out. There was no dog, neither in mid-air nor plummeting to the ground. All they saw was what looked like a swarm of bats flying off to the east.

End Chapter 6


	7. Walter?

Hellsing: Amen

by Notan Rappa

Chapter 7: Walter...?  
Alucard flew down to the ground and reassembled himself into a more humanoid form. He straighted his hat, and looked around. The scent had thin spots in it, but always picking it back up, it had led him to this place. A warehouse, sunk deep in shadows.

"Perfect." said Alucard, loving every moment of it. He followed the scent to it's thickest point. The scent was leading him toward a door. When he put his hand on the door handle, he felt the scent so thickly that it actually knocked him back. 'What is this?' Alucard's eyes narrowed. 'Obviously I have underestimated whoever is driving this effort.' Alucard reached forward and opened the door. Three figures stood up.  
"Who are you?" asked one. The other two were obviously in favor of the kill-first-ask-questions-later method. Bad method when dealing with a vampire with two huge guns, which were now pointed at the two men. One shot each was all it took. The third man got up and ran behind Alucard, trying to get to the door. Alucard shot him over his shoulder without looking. He didn't need to look. He knew that his bullet had found its mark. He moved closer to the heap in the shadows that those men had been huddling over.  
It was Walter.

Meanwhile...

Integra stared in horror as the vampire approached her. "Ahh, sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing! Leader of the infamous Hellsing Organization, stuck in a jail cell, now at my mercy! This will only serve to make your blood even sweeter!" He lunged for Integra, but didn't get very far before he suddenly burst into flames.  
"AAGGGHHH!" the vampire screamed as he fell to the floor. Seras stepped into the cell, pointed a handgun at the vampire, and pulled the trigger. The gun sent a blessed silver bullet straight to the vampire's heart. The vampire gave one final scream before collapsing into a heap of smouldering dust. There was an awkward silence, which was broken by Seras giving one of her silly grins.  
"I...er...kinda had a feeling that you might be lonely and in need of company, but I guess I was wrong." She paused for a moment. "Silly me, I seem to have killed your only visitor!" She giggled at her own wit. Integra smiled.  
"Then I guess you will have to keep me company instead. Now get over here and help me with this paperwork. They say that if I finish all of this red tape, they can let me out in a few days."  
"What's 'red tape'?"  
"Stupid bureaucratic stuff, meant to slow down the doing of things that need to be done."  
"Ahh." Seras was silent.  
"So, how are things going at Hellsing?" Seras wasn't sure how to answer for a moment. Integra wasn't just asking how things were going. Did she suspect...no! There's no way she could know. She was probably wondering how things were faring in her absence.  
"Er...well...things could be better, you know. I mean, you're gone, and that's lowered moral a lot. The men have also started slacking off without you there to keep them in shape. I seem to be the only one who feels that things aren't over yet."  
"And right you are." said Integra, getting serious. "Things are not over. Walter has been taken from his room at London Hospital. I've got Alucard out looking for him. Something is wrong, and we are going to need our men in tip-top shape for this." She looked Seras in the eyes. "I need you to keep up with practices, and do what you can to encourage the others to do the same. And practice that...uh..." Integra waved her hand in a circular motion, "...thing...you just did. The fire thing. That might be useful."  
"Well," said Seras, "it works fine on ghouls, but for vampires you still have to shoot them."  
"Yes, well, I have a feeling that our battle this time isn't going to be solely against vampires. Other forces are afoot."  
"Other...forces...?" Seras whispered. Integra turned to face Seras and smiled weakly.  
"You should head back, Seras. The sun will be coming up soon."  
End Chapter 7


	8. Found WalterNow What?

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 8: Found Walter...Now What?

Alucard took a step closer to the still figure of Walter. Walter muttered something that would have been too quiet for a human to hear as more than a groan.  
"Go...away. Stay...back, I'm...warning...you." Alucard frowned. '_What have they done to you, Walter_?' he thought. He lifted Walter's head and stared straight into his eyes. Five seconds later Alucard shook his head, blinking furiously, wanting to get out of Walter's mind as fast as possible. "Why would someone do this?" 

Later, back at the Hellsing mansion...

Seras was at the indoor shooting range, seeing as it was light outside. She had been inspired to new heights of practice by Integra's words. The other men at the shooting range had all reacted to her arrival. Some got up and left as fast as they could, others had stayed, but clearly felt uncomfortable. Seras paid them no mind. She finished up with her target, and then went for a walk. One of the men from the shooting range ran up to her.  
"Miss Victoria!" he shouted. Seras turned around. Looking into his eyes, she saw no fear, simply a nagging worry. "Have you seen my friend Gary? He's gone missing, and...well, some of the men think that you...you know...but I don't believe it for one second."  
'_So that's what all this fear from the men is about_.' Seras thought. "No, I haven't seen your friend Mr..."  
"Jason. You can call me Jason."  
"Jason. If I do see him, you'll be the first to know."

"Thank you." Looking much relieved, Jason turned back to the shooting range. Seras felt something inside her longing for his fresh warm blood. But as time went on, her ability to resist the urge to feed for even a few moments more increased. Seras knew that anymore strange disappearances like the one with Gary would draw even more unwanted suspicion. She turned and ran until she couldn't take the hunger anymore. She killed and drained the first living thing she saw, which happened to be a cat.

Minutes later, in Integra's cell...

Integra sat bolt upright, pistol at the ready, when Alucard came in through the ceiling. Alucard smiled.

"Are you going to shoot me?"  
"Hmph." Integra snorted as she lowered the pistol. "I might." Then her vision settled on the figure Alucard was holding. "Walter!" She got up from the couch and Alucard placed Walter down on it gently. They both looked at him in silence for a moment. "Is he all right?"  
"Physically he should recover. I have faith in his mental fortitude as well, though the damage to his mind was rather extensive."  
"What do you mean? How is his mind damaged? How extensive are we talking?"  
"Someone forced their way into his mind and messed up the pieces. He then left a piece of his own mind in Walter's. So now, Walter's mind is a non-navigable mass of messed up goop which is trying to reconstruct itself. As to how bad the damage is, let's just say that even I don't want to be in there right now."  
"Why?"  
"It's so bad right now that if I got lost in it, I would never find my way out again."  
"Walter..." The worries of Walter, the stress of running an organization from a jail cell, the anger over the red tape, and just the everyday emotional strain in general, all came to a head. Integra did something that she hadn't done since she was very little. She sat down and began to cry.  
End Chapter 8


	9. Seras's Defiance

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 9: Seras's Defiance

Alucard looked from the still figure of Walter to the weeping figure of Integra. His eyes narrowed.  
"Being with such exceptionally strong humans for such a long time, I seem to have almost forgotten just how weak humans really are." He looked down at Integra, who looked back up at him with a tear streaked face.  
"Alucard, take us back to the Hellsing mansion. That's...an order." Alucard nodded, and picked her and Walter up. As they disappeared, the room shimmered for a moment, and then stood still. A few minutes later, a guard looked into the room and saw Integra at her desk, diligently working on her paperwork.

A few hours later...

Seras had to kill him. He had seen her drinking the blood of his dog. And why, if she had to kill him, should he go to waste? Besides she was still thirsty.  
'_Gee, I sure do need a lot of this stuff_.' Seras thought to herself. She burned the bodies, and afterwards, wondered if it would be a lot simpler if she just locked herself up in her room. '_Sure would keep me from killing off the men. I don't mean to, well, I do, sorta, but not on purpose. I just can't control myself sometimes. And fresh blood tastes so much better than that old donated stuff_.'

Meanwhile...

"Will he be all right?"  
"I believe he will, master." Integra nodded, and stood up.  
"Let's let him rest, then."  
"You seem like you could get some rest, too, master. Fancy political jail cell or not, I doubt those beds are very comfortable."  
"But what if they check in and find me gone? I have to go back. Plus there is the paperwork..."  
"I have taken care of it. If they look inside your cell, they will see what they want to see. A quiet, content Integra, working quietly and contentedly at  
the paperwork she so desperately wants to finish." Integra looked at Alucard, who in turn looked back at her. No words passed between them, simply an understanding of one's silent thanks and the other's quiet acceptance.  
Their wordless conversation was interrupted by a loud shouting coming from  
the foyer downstairs.

"What in blazes is going on!" Integra yelled, running from the room. Alucard hovered on the ground next to her.  
"Don't overexert yourself, master." he said quietly. Integra burst from the room and walked briskly down the stairs. She managed to hear the general meaning of the shouting...  
"Vampire!" "Monster!" "Murderer!" "Beast!" She heard the voice of one of the men shouting out through the din...  
"She did not! Where's your proof?"  
"Stop this shouting now, all of you!" Integra yelled. The effect was amazing. The crowd grew so quite, you could have heard a pin hurtling its way down to the floor. As she walked through them to the center of the commotion, they moved aside, none of them daring to speak. When the last of them parted, Integra saw a nervous, and somewhat angry looking, Seras, backed up into a corner. "Just what exactly is this all about?"  
"She killed two men, and some of our pets to feed her unnatural blood lust!"  
"Prove it!" yelled the one man. At this the entire crowd started yelling again.  
"QUIET!" Integra yelled. Everyone went silent. Integra reached out a hand and gripped the wall to steady herself. That yell had taken up quite a bit of what little energy she had left. '_Maybe Alucard is right_.' she thought. '_Have to get this sorted out first, though_.' She turned to the men.  
"You." she said, pointing at one of the men at random. He snapped to attention. '_Good. Their discipline isn't too badly degraded_.' "At ease. What exactly are the accusations against Miss Victoria?"  
"She killed and drank two men and two animals. The men were Pvt. Gary Hall and Sgt. David Ray. The animals were Sgt. Ray's dog, Maggie, and my cat, Romeo. Ma'am." Integra turned to Seras.  
"What do you have to say about this, Seras?"  
"I have no idea what they are talking about. I did no such thing." Seras smiled to herself. She was proving to be a fairly proficient liar. Integra turned back to the men.  
"I believe Seras. I don't believe she is capable of harming anyone of you."  
"Ya, but you're biased!"  
"Integra is right! Seras wouldn't do something like that!" yelled that one man who Integra remembered to be Pvt. Jason Trelore. The men yelled at him, obviously not believing a word of it.  
Alucard appeared out of nowhere, in-between Seras and the men. He turned to Seras.

"Well, Seras?" The men grew quiet once again. "Did you kill those me? Tell me the truth." '_And will she obey me,' he wondered_, 'or will she finally defy me?'  
Seras looked down at the floor. She couldn't lie. Not to Alucard. Not to her master! Then Seras remembered in her dream, Alucard telling her that he was no longer her master. She bit her lip. She scrunched up her face in anger, lifted up her head and stared directly into Alucard's fiercely cold eyes. Her gaze never wavered.  
"How can you ask that? Of course I didn't kill them! I can barely stand to drink donated blood, you all know that! Why then do you suddenly think I would be willing to drink from the living?"  
Alucard smiled to himself. '_Hahaha! Her gaze! So cold and defiant! Oh  
it makes my blood boil! At last she accepts her true nature_!'  
"We...thought...maybe...well, since..." One of the soldiers stuttered.  
"Oh give it a rest!" yelled Seras, now turning her gaze on the man, who cringed away from her; away from her gaze. She walked through the crowd to her bedroom. No one said anything for a moment. Everyone watched silently as Seras walked to her room. One thing that everyone in that room agreed on; that Seras wasn't the same person anymore.  
"She is innocent. Bother her no longer." Alucard's voice was barely above a whisper, but everyone in the room heard him clearly, and understood just as clearly the unspoken threat.

Later, in Integra's room...

"What are you so happy about?" Integra asked Alucard, feeling jealous that he could smile after that loud ordeal, while all she got from it was a splitting headache.

"She finally defied me! Resisted me! She is now a true vampire, in both body and spirit!"  
"How did she defy you?" Integra really really didn't want to know the answer. She knew that the answer would only serve to make her headache worse. However, she had asked.

"I told her to tell me the truth about those men..."  
"Are you saying that she did kill those men?" Integra's earlier intuition was correct. Her headache was now the size of a smallish planet. Alucard smiled. Integra sighed. "Then I shall have to figure out a way to control her."  
"That would not be a good idea."  
"Because you don't like it?"  
"No. She is already learning to control to her appetite. You failed to order those extra blood packets. Also, if you put controls on her at this early stage of her development, she will not gain any new strength or power."  
"So what? I doubt we are going to need anything more powerful. I'm confident that there is no single threat so great that you can't handle it alone." Alucard just stood there for a moment, then turned and headed for the door. When he reached the doorway, he stopped, and looked up.  
"I have a feeling..." he said slowly, quietly, "...that you are wrong." He reached out for the doorknob. "Get some rest tonight, master." With that, he closed the door. In the dark Integra got dressed for bed, and as she did so, she thought about her encounter with Incognito, Walter's condition, Seras' developing power, and now this new, cryptic comment that seemed to indicate that there was something out there even more powerful than Alucard. As she got in under the covers, thinking about these things, she thought to herself, '_How can he possibly expect me to get any sleep now_?'  
As it turned out, it didn't matter. She fell asleep moments later, exhaustion winning out over worry.  
End Chapter 9


	10. FatherDaughter Chat aka Family Values

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 10: Father/Daughter Chat (a.k.a. Family Values)  
Integra's sleep would go undisturbed that night. Alucard would make sure of that. '_Sleep well, master_.' Alucard got up and put his hand on the door. A quiet flash, and a small symbol quickly appeared on the door and then disappeared. '_No one will disturb Sir Integra's sleep tonight_.' He walked to the room in which Walter lay. He crossed over to the bed. '_You are getting old, friend. But you are still useful. Don't give up. Giving up is what kills people. The moment you refuse to admit defeat, you have the honor of transcending your humanity_.' Alucard turned and left the room and headed for Seras' room. He walked in, and was delighted to see Seras sitting on the edge of her bed waiting for him.  
"What took you so long?" she asked, having expected him to confront her several minutes earlier than this.  
"I was putting a seal on Integra's door to prevent anyone from disturbing her rest." No one spoke for a moment. Then Seras looked down at the floor, a world-weary look crossed her face.  
"I didn't mean to kill them. I don't want to hurt any of the men, it's just that I get so hungry, and something inside me sees them as nothing more than cattle..."  
"They are nothing more than cattle to us, Seras. But more than that, we must be careful not to kill them off. I meant to tell you this sooner. Now that you are a true no-life queen, you have the power to make ghouls...and vampires. You can only make a vampire by drinking the blood of a virgin of the opposite sex. But you should always use this power with reserve. If we create too many vampires, we would kill them faster than they could reproduce. Then we have nothing left to drink, and then we die. If we create too few, the humans will hunt us and kill us off. It is a very fine balance, Seras Victoria, and being a vampire yourself, it is your responsibility to understand this. Part of that balance is that you should never kill unless you are thirsty. Remember your first kill in the Hellsing Organization?"  
Seras thought back to the day she shot and killed a young girl vampire, Jessica. Seras nodded.

Alucard continued speaking. "They slaughtered entire families, drank what they wanted, and then wasted the rest writing childish taunts on the walls. It is vampires like that who deserve to be hunted down. I am not like them. I understand that the balance must be maintained. And so, I hope, will you. Do you understand, Seras Victoria?" Seras nodded. Alucard smiled, and got up to leave.  
"Alucard..." said Seras quietly. Alucard paused, and turned to face Seras. "Why, if humans are nothing more than cattle to us, do you allow yourself to be ruled by one? And don't give me that line you give to everyone else about the control art. I've tasted your blood and I know how strong you are and I know that you could break that control art if you wanted to." Seras looked very distraught as the facts were putting themselves in place. "You care for her, don't you?" Alucard stood there for a moment, then turned for the door. Seras stared following his movements.  
'_Come on, Seras!_' thought Alucard as he left her room. '_Show some spine and ask me!_'  
"ALUCARD!" Seras nearly shouted just as Alucard turned the corner. At first nothing happened, then Alucard walked back into the room, saying nothing, waiting to hear the question. "Uh...Alucard...I..." Her courage began to waver.  
"Yes..." said Alucard, smiling, "...police girl!" Seras set her face determinedly.  
"Alucard, is it...odd for a vampire to fall in love?"  
"HAHAHAHA!" Alucard laughed. '_So, she finally asks it!_'  
"This isn't funny, I'm serious!" Seras yelled at Alucard. Alucard stopped laughing, but a joyful smile was still on his face.  
"No, Seras. It isn't odd for a vampire to fall in love, just a little rare nowadays. However, love for a vampire is...slightly different than humans. It is difficult to explain, it has to be experienced."  
"Have you ever loved anyone?" Seras asked.  
'_Now there is a question I never expected!_' Alucard's smile was replaced by a pensive frown. He was quiet for a moment. "I did...once...a long time ago."  
And with that, Alucard left the room. Seras lied down on her bed and thought over the conversation that she had just had. Eventually, she pushed the button that lowered the lid. As she began to drift off to sleep she wondered how Walter was doing.

'_Maybe...I'll find out...tomorrow_.'  
End Chapter 10


	11. In Which Nothing of Any Importance Happe...

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 11: In Which Nothing of Any Importance Happens

Seras woke up and got dressed. She went up the stairs to Integra's room. Then she stopped. When had she ever actually seen Integra in her room? She was almost always in her study. Seras turned toward the study and went in. Integra looked up as the door opened, then looked back down at her paperwork.  
"Hello, Seras."  
"Good evening, sir Integra." Seras looked over at the paperwork, and recognized it as being the red tape Integra had been working on while in her cell. '_Perhaps Alucard brought it here?_' Seras looked up from the paperwork to meet Integra's gaze. "Integra...I was wondering about Walter. Is he all right?"  
"Alucard assures me that he will be fine, but at the moment he is in some sort of coma. I don't fully understand it to tell the truth." Integra looked back at the red tape for a moment, then snapped her head back up. "Speaking of telling the truth...mind telling me the real story with those men?" Seras looked startled, then guilty.

"I...did kill them." Integra sighed. Headache again. She cradled her head in her fist.  
"I must say that it is partially my fault. Alucard gave me a far warning, and I didn't listen. I've finally managed to remedy that. You are going to be regularly supplied with eight packs a day. I have also been convinced to decide against having you power restricted, but if you kill again, I'm afraid I may have to go against that decision."

Seras nodded, and then left the room to visit Walter. Integra sighed and got back to her paperwork. "Hello, Alucard." Integra said softly without looking up from her paperwork. Integra heard a quiet laugh behind her, and Alucard stepped noiselessly around Integra's chair until he was facing her.

"You should be resting."  
"You're not my doctor."  
"Are you serious about changing your mind if she kills again?" Integra looked up from her work and stared at Alucard sharply.  
"I won't sacrifice my men for the sake of letting a little budding hell kitten run around without a leash."  
"These controls aren't simple leashes. It is like putting a leash on a human and parading him around in public. It has a profound effect on the vampire psyche. I believe that Seras in particular would develop a somewhat negative reaction to it."  
"It doesn't seem to have affected you."  
Alucard smiled. "Yes, but I've had a long time to get used to it. Besides, I am a rather...exceptional ...vampire."  
"On that point you and I both agree." Integra tried hard not to smile, but failed. "You are a rather exceptional vampire."  
End Chapter 11


	12. Resistance and Blood

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 12: Resistance and Blood

Seras walked slowly down the corridor to Walter's room. She saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head imperceptibly, in the way only a vampire can. It was Jason.

'_Damn!_' thought Seras as she realized that he was heading towards her, and that she hadn't had anything to drink yet. '_I can't kill him! If I do..._' Some instinctual piece deep down inside her shivered at the thought of the control art.  
Jason walked up to Seras. "Good evening, Miss Victoria."  
"Call me Seras." said Seras, surprised at how easily she was resisting her hunger.  
"I'm glad that they found you innocent. I mean...I knew that you were innocent all along but..." It was as if the giant lead ball that was Seras hunger had shrunk back and then hurtled itself at the lining of her stomach. It was all she could do to stop herself from launching herself at Jason. "...are you...all right?"  
"I'm...fine." She paused to regain some measure of control. "Will you...come with me?" Jason looked confused, but followed. Seras headed for Walter's room. 'I _was headed there anyway._' They got into the room. Seras closed the door, then a thought popped into her mind. '_I wonder if Alucard could teach me to do that seal thing?_' She heard a gasp, and she turned to see Jason bending over Walter.  
"Is this bloke...dead?"  
"No. He's in some kind of coma. Come here." She led him to a sofa on the opposite side of the room from the bed on which Walter lay. She sat him down, then sat down next to him. "Look...I know Alucard said I was innocent...but he was lying to protect me. I did kill those men...and the animals." At this moment Jason realized he was now a liability to her. He also realized how dark it was in this part of the room and, indeed, the room in general was fairly devoid of light.  
"I was always avoiding drinking blood, yes," Seras continued, "but then I drank Alucard's blood, and ever since then, I have been thirsting for blood. I couldn't quite control my hunger then, but I'm getting better. I didn't mean to kill your friend, nor your commander, I would rather have killed more animals. But there is something about warm human blood that...sparkles...as it makes its way through my body." Seras was struggling to fight the hunger which was growing inside of her.  
"I don't want you to think of me as a freak or a monster, but..." at this, Seras conjured a small ball of fire to hover above her slightly opened fist. The light from the dancing flame leaped and wavered in the dark. "...I am what I am." she continued. "I am a vampire, and I need blood. Never forget what I am, and for your safety, don't lower your guard. Always be ready to run." Seras couldn't take the hunger any longer. She fell off the sofa, the fire extinguished, she buckled over, fighting with every ounce of strength she had left. "Run...now!" She expected him to get up and run. Possibly to tell the other men. It didn't matter. '_He'll be on his toes and won't easily fall prey to my hunger._' What she didn't expect was for Jason to stand up and draw out his hunting knife. Another wave hit her and she scrunched her eyes to fight it. '_Idiot._' she thought. '_He knows what I am and he knows that won't do a damn thing!_'  
Then she smelled blood. Fresh warm blood. She looked up slowly, and saw a blood stained knife, and Jason with a deep long cut on his arm. '_What...is he doing?_'  
"I never forgot what you are. You may not remember it, but you were nice to me once. They were small things, a smile, a wave, a hello. Small things, yes. But at the time I was going through some...personal struggles. I was struggling for a reason to continue living. Everything seemed like it was dying, and no one was kind to anyone else anymore. Then I saw you. I saw how you were nice to everyone, and how even if things seemed helpless, you never gave up. Seeing that in you, gave me the will to live. Here..." he said, offering her his bleeding arm. "...but only enough for you to get to your room safely." Seras got up slowly, and drank his warm blood. It tingled in a way that was somewhat new to her; somewhat...different from the others. After she had had enough to resist the hunger, she broke away from him.  
Something inside her wanted nothing else in the world but to keep drinking his blood, but she silenced that voice. '_I will be nobody's slave, especially not my own. I am my own master!_' With that she got up and ran as fast as she could for her room. Jason slumped onto the sofa and stared at his wound. '_Why...did I do that?_' Somehow it didn't matter why. He felt he had done the right thing. He ripped up his sleeve to make a crude bandage. Then, weak from blood loss, he fell asleep on the sofa. In his dreams he saw Seras running along a dark beach, which was being flooded over by a sea of blood.  
End Chapter 12


	13. Awakening

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 13: Awakening

Seras got back to her room and spent almost an hour drinking her blood packets. She wanted to take her time. Jason's blood had been particularly filling, and as such, there was a blood packet left over. Then Seras got an idea.

'_I'll carry it with me, so when I get thirsty I'll have something to drink._'  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moments later, in Walter's room...

Jason's eyes snapped open. He was slightly disturbed by the dream he just had. He stood up slowly and pressed his head into his palm.

"God, I need a smoke." He walked out the room and headed down the stairs. On his way down, he passed by Seras going in the opposite direction. "Don't worry." he said to her. "I won't tell the men." Then he walked on past her to his bunk.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moments later...

Seras walked into Walter's room, and walked up to the bed. "Hello, Walter. I don't know if you can actually hear me, but I want you to know that I hope you get better soon." She was silent for a while. She just stood there and looked at Walter. She was just about to leave, when she thought she saw Walter move. "Walter...?" Walter's eyes slide open.  
"S...e...r...a...s...?"  
"Walter! You're awake!"  
"Da..rk...and...blood. So...much...dark." Seras got up and ran for Integra's study.  
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Meanwhile...

"About Seras. You do know how she feels about you, don't you?"  
"How she feels?"  
"Oh come on, Alucard. She's obviously smitten with you." Alucard laughed. "What's so funny?"  
"No, maybe she was at some point, but she isn't now. I believe that for the longest while she has been attracted to Pip."  
"Ah, yes, Pip. Where is Pip? I haven't seem him in a while."  
"He was reported missing as of the Incognito incident."  
"Ah." said Integra, her face turning crestfallen. '_Damn. He was a good officer. Why is it that all of the good ones die?_'  
At that moment, Seras burst into the room. "Walter! He's awake!"  
"Really!" said Integra, standing up as fast as she could, her headache momentarily forgotten.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later...

"Well, he was awake." said Seras. "Sorry I dragged you guys out here."  
"No, Seras." said Alucard. "This is actually very significant. Did he speak? Did he see you? Recognize you?"  
"He did. He said my name, then he started rambling about darkness and blood."  
"What does it mean?" Integra asked Alucard.  
"It means," Alucard replied, "that Walter is still figuring out which parts of his mind are his, and which parts aren't. It also means that he has made great progress in this, but I feel that he still has a long ways to go yet."  
End Chapter 13


	14. Deep in the Abyss

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 14: Deep in the Abyss...

In the flaming darkness, two piercingly red eyes stared at the world of the living. Once again the figure strained against the chains holding it down. It was a stubborn exercise in futility. The only thing that could break these chains was the blood of a human. He would have his human soon. He had been very angry with the little demon he had conscripted into getting him a human. He thought for sure that the human was lost. Luckily, this human was far more resilient then his age would otherwise seem to imply. But not too resilient. The figure smiled, and what little light came from the dark-purple flames bounced off his bleached bone white teeth. The dark-purple flames of the Abyss flared, and the flesh on the demonic figure seared.

"RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" The pain was almost unbearable. The only thing keeping him sane was a phrase that he muttered to himself over and over.  
"No met helya imaf caliad liatmor. Im helyat notan no rappa...Im helyat notat no rappa...NOTAN NO RAPPA!"  
End Chapter 14


	15. The Angel of Death and the Demon of Life...

Hellsing: Amen  
by Notan Rappa

Chapter 15: The Angel of Death and the Demon of Life Fist-Fighting in Hell  
The vampire leapt at Seras, knocked the Harkonnen out of her hands and sent her sprawling. '_Damn! This thing is fast_.' It was supposed to be an ordinary Hellsing mission. Purify impure souls, banishing to eternal damnation, so on and so forth. But when they had shot this particular vampire, it had stubbornly refused to die. This vampire was stronger than any of the others that this particular group of Hellsing soldiers had ever fought, seeing as all the more experienced ones had died during the Valentine incident.  
The vampire leapt into the air, landed in front of Seras punching the ground in front of her. The ground seemed to roll at her and landed her a smack on the jaw that sent her hurtling backwards into a Japanese antique shop, much to the surprise of the store owner. Seras felt a stinging stab that was vaguely like Anderson's blessed knives. Reaching to her shoulder, she yanked out a Japanese sword. She quickly read the tag, and found that this sword was supposedly some kind of holy weapon. '_Well, that's convenient_.' Seras stood up, and gripped the wound that wouldn't heal. '_I guess it really is blessed or something_.' Seras exited the antique shop, sword in hand. The shocked store owner wasn't so shocked that he couldn't protect his profits.  
"Hey! You haven't paid for that!"  
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Back at the Hellsing mansion...

"That was a very entertaining battle, Seras." Seras turned around quickly.  
"God, stop doing that, Alucard. You're going to give me a heart attack..." Seras stopped and thought about how absolutely stupid that statement was, then started laughing. Alucard started laughing as well. It got to the point where Seras had to lean on Alucard for support because she was laughing so hard. Integra walked into the room and stopped the happy moment.  
"Seras Victoria! You have failed to return with your Harkonnen cannon."  
"Oh, it's ok. I actually think I prefer this sword thing." said Seras, holding up her new sword.  
"That's not the point." said Integra, pinching the bridge of her nose, thinking that it might help relieve her headache. It made it worse. "The point is that not only is it Hellsing property, it is a dangerous piece of military hardware and...oh forget it." Integra turned around. '_This place needs aspirin. Where the hell is the aspirin. God, I can't live like this. Walter would know where I could get some aspirin, in fact he'd even fetch it for me_.' Integra smiled fondly. '_No, even better, he'd know of a good quality tea that would relieve me of my headache and would have some already made for me almost before I knew I needed it myself_.'  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile...

"Humans are so confusing, aren't they?"  
"I don't know. I think I can still understand their way of thinking. I was one not too long ago, remember?" Alucard looked at the sword.  
"That's a nice looking knife you've got there, Seras." Seras looked down at the sword she was holding.  
"It's not a knife, Alucard. It's a sword."  
"Actually, if you want to get technical, it's a katana, ancient Japanese curved sword."  
"It doesn't look curved to me." Alucard smiled.  
"Well, it isn't really curved very much at all. Confusing, isn't it?" Suddenly Seras looked up. Alucard's smile slipped away. "What is it?"  
Alucard understood the look on Seras's face. He understood that one of the abilities she was developing as a vampire was a form of clairvoyance that manifested itself as an intuitive sense. Alucard understood this, and trusted it.  
"Something's...not right."  
"Anything more specific then that?" In fact, Alucard believed that it was entirely possible that, with time and practice, she might develop to the point where she could sense events in the future. Seras's face scrunched up in concentration.  
"No...nothing specific...wait...Walter! Something's wrong with Walter!" Alucard and Seras ran for Walter's room. When they got there, nothing seemed amiss, except that Walter was tossing and turning fitfully, and muttering in his sleep. Seras walked closer to hear what he was muttering.  
"No met helya imaf caliad liatmor. Im helyat notan no rappa. Im helyat notan no rappa. Im helyat notan no rappa." Walter was saying this over and over.  
"What...does this mean?"  
"Walter's mind was shredded by what I believed to have been, and what this now confirms to have been, a minor demon. That demon then mixed his mind with Walter's. Walter has been lying here fighting the demon mind trying to take over, and trying to organize his own mind. Figure out which pieces are his, and where they go."  
"Why...would a demon do that? Wouldn't that ruin the demon's mind as well?"  
"Yes. It is a risky way of trying to impose one's will over another being. It is risky because if it fails, you are simply a wandering husk without a mind." They listened to Walter's babbling for a while. Alucard looked as if he was trying to analyze the words.  
"Do you know what he's saying?" Seras asked.  
"He is speaking in an archaic demon tongue. 'This, then is my solemn vow...'" Alucard's eyes narrowed, "'...I will abandon this abyss.'" Alucard turned to Seras. "This is rather unfortunate. The fact that Walter is speaking this phrase in the demon tongue would seem to indicate that Walter is losing a piece of himself to the demon mind." He turned back to Walter, a look of approval on his face. "And yet...look at him. All is hopeless, yet he refuses to give up."  
"Isn't there some way we could...help him?"  
"We would only be getting in the way. This is his fight. He must fight it alone. If he wins, we may all be safe." Alucard turned and headed for the door. "If he loses..." Alucard smiled slightly, "...then things are going to get very interesting for a while." Seras looked at Walter for a moment, then quietly whispered,  
"Something else is going on here. Something more than it would appear."  
"Is this your intuition speaking?"  
"No. Mostly it's experience. Nothing in this Hellsing outfit is as simple as it appears. That whole thing with the freak chips, and Incognito and the betrayal by that member of the council of twelve...what ever happened to him, anyway?"  
Alucard smiled, then exited the room, leaving Seras alone with her thoughts and a muttering Walter to keep her company.  
End Chapter 15


End file.
